McGuire had previously been acquitted of the offence by a jury in 1987, but admitted the offence in March after the case was re-investigated under the Double Jeopardy legislation.

Victim Doreen Smith - known as Joy - who has waived her right to anonymity, was present at today's hearing with her husband Colin and their son.

The mother-of-three and grandmother-of-five lives in Darlington but was living in Windsor at the time of the attack. Her husband was in the army at the Victoria Barracks. Speaking after the sentence, she said: "I am happy. It is a decent sentence."

Alexander McGuire from the time of his original arrest in the 1980s

She said she had never been able to forget what had happened and that it had 'always felt like there was a shadow hanging over her.'

She added: "It has been a hard few years because I knew he was guilty 26 years ago but I had to wait until now for him to admit it."

Forensic evidence secured during the medical examination of the victim at the time of the offence was re-examined using new DNA techniques not available to the original investigation team.

The legislation has been used to retrial seven rape and murder cases, including Gary Dobson, who was found guilty of the murder of teenager Stephen Lawrence in January.

McGuire raped the 29-year-old on November 25, 1986, in a toilet cubicle at the Thames Street restaurant where she was working a late shift.

He was arrested at his home in July and the original trial verdict was quashed in December.